


Impulse

by alpha_exodus



Series: chemicals in flux [1]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Brothels, M/M, Mentions of kink, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Polyamory, Rentboys, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 02:19:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7415434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alpha_exodus/pseuds/alpha_exodus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack's more comfortable with Bitty than he'd ever expected to be, which is why he's nervous when he comes to visit and Bitty's out for the week. But Parse turns out to be a more-than-welcome substitution—and maybe even something more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Impulse

**Author's Note:**

> This story started from a conversation w/yoursummerfrost that basically went like this:
> 
> Me: so I like rentboy fics a lot  
> Her: ...heeey you should write one  
> Me: no haha  
> Her: please write one  
> Me, quieter this time: no haha...
> 
> And so, the rentboy!bitty & rentboy!kent AU that ~~nobody~~ somebody asked for was born.
> 
> Content-wise: uhh very idealized brothels? Strange amounts of fluff? Very brief anxiety mentions, and, you know. Sex. Ty to Ngozi for giving us these wonderful characters to play with, and enjoy ;)

“Sorry, Bitty’s on vacation this week,” the woman at the front desk says, frowning at her computer screen. “He was supposed to cancel all of his appointments, but I guess he forgot yours since you’re a regular, damn. I’ll have to get on him for that later,” she quirks an eyebrow.

Jack feels a lump form in his throat. He’d been looking forward to this month’s session; it’s the only way he’s assured complete anonymity at this sort of thing. “Um, okay, sorry. I’ll come back next month,” he shuffles his feet, turning to leave.

“Hang on a sec,” the woman says, clicking her mouse several times in quick succession. “If you want—we’ve got a guy who looks really similar, if you wouldn’t mind changing it up this time. Here,” she turns the screen so Jack can see it.

The photo really _does_ look like Bitty—freckles and blond hair and a slight build. But his eyes are a blue-green instead of brown, his hair is tousled, and instead of Bitty’s pleasant smile he wears the slightest edge of a smirk. His bio reads _Parse, 5’10, willing to work with men and occasionally women,_ and then a whole list of his kinks and limits that blurs in front of Jack’s eyes.

He swallows hard. He’s—fuck, he’s very tempted. But he hasn’t _ever_ come here for anyone except Bitty—hell, he hasn’t _slept_ with anyone except Bitty in months because it’s so much easier just coming here rather than risking a paparazzi scandal.

“Wanna meet him?” the woman at the front desk asks, taking in his torn expression. “He’s here today. Had his eight-o’-clock cancelled, I think, so he was going to head home but I can probably catch him before he leaves.”

Jack’s eyes flick around the desk, stalling—for the first time he notices that she’s wearing a name-tag. _Lardo_ , he makes out in small letters. “Um—all right,” he says slowly. “Just to meet him, right?”

“Sure,” Lardo gives a nod, leaning over to pick up the phone and dialing in a short extension number. She holds it to her ear as it rings. “Oy, is Parse still there? Oh, good. Can you put him on?” There’s a pause as she waits, drumming her fingers on the desk. Jack’s heart-rate has probably multiplied twice by the time she speaks again. “Yo, Parser. I’ve got a regular of Bitty’s here who didn’t get notified that he’s out this week—yeah. Mhmm. He just wants to meet you for now, actually, but if you’re both up for it I can pull up the one-time papers. Right, thanks, see ya soon,” she puts the phone down, looking back up at Jack. “Uhh—do you want to sit down?”

Jack realizes he’s been swaying slightly; the nervousness is creeping up his spine, making him unsteady. “Yeah, okay,” he mumbles, pulling out one of the chairs in front of the desk and sitting in it.

“He’ll be down in a minute,” Lardo smiles at him. “Don’t be so scared. He’s actually a complete dork, I promise.”

Jack laughs a little at that, but the uneasiness refuses to subside. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“I’m just gonna make a note in your file,” Lardo turns back to the computer. “Next time Bitty’s out I’ll make sure he lets you know.”

“Thanks,” Jack says, and then there’s a few moments of silence punctuated only by the noises of Lardo typing on her keyboard.

Then the office door opens, and Jack swivels to look—oh. Wow. Um. Parse is standing there with his hand on the doorknob, dressed in a pair of tight jeans and a flannel with the sleeves cuffed to his elbows, a backwards baseball cap on his head. And he’s _really_ hot. Jack had thought his picture was attractive, but now it’s clear that the photo was an understatement—he feels his mouth go dry.

And then he looks up at Parse’s face and Parse is giving him a look he knows well—recognition. Shit. This isn’t gonna work, Jack can’t have people knowing who he is because then there’s autographs and posturing and nothing is organic anymore—

But then, to his surprise, the glimmer disappears from Parse’s expression like it had never been there in the first place. “Hey, I’m Parse,” Parse closes the door behind him, holding his hand out for a shake. Jack stands and grips it firmly, hoping that Parse can’t tell he’s trembling.

“I’m Z,” he says, sitting back down in his chair as Parse pulls out the other one. Parse nods at that, accepts the nickname even though Jack is completely sure Parse knows his real name.

“Nice to meet ya,” Parse smiles, and it’s nearly a smirk but softer than the smirk in the photo. “Lardo said you usually come for Bits?” Jack nods, but he doesn’t catch the innuendo until Parse winks at him, and oh, God.

“Lardo,” he turns away from Parse, “You were right. He might be too dorky for me,” he deadpans, and Lardo stifles a laugh as next to him, Parse sputters.

“Hey! I am extremely attractive in every way, I’ll have you know. People tell me that every day,” he furrows his brow in mock-offense.

“Sure,” Jack says, and slowly he lets himself smile, relaxing into it.

He likes this guy. This might work.

“So, you two can talk some more over in the lounge if you’d like, or if you want we can draw up a contract?” Lardo eyes both of them.

“Up to you,” Parse tilts his head toward Jack. “I don’t have plans tonight, so.”

Jack’s heart pounds. “The—the second one,” he says, trying his best to steady his voice.

“All right,” Lardo looks faintly surprised. “Well then, I’ve got it pulled up already—Z, it says in your file that you’ve been exploring certain things with Bitty, but I figure we want to keep it pretty vanilla this time around?”

Jack nods in affirmation—he trusts Bitty to take care of him, and even though he likes Parse, he still doesn’t _know_ him yet.

“Okie dokie, we can forgo the more in-depth contract then,” Lardo says, swiveling her chair so she can reach the printer, which starts whirring and buzzing as it churns out two pieces of paper. She hands one to both of them. “You’ll have seen this before, Z. Standard liability and consent form like you would’ve signed when you started with Bitty, though I’d recommend giving it a read-through just in case.”

Jack does so because he likes to be thorough, registering the scratch of pen-on-paper next to him as Parse signs his own copy immediately. When he’s done, he looks around for a pen and Parse hands him one, their fingers brushing warmly as he does, and Jack resists the urge to shiver. Fuck, he’d forgotten how different the first time always is—his hand is shaking as he scrawls out his signature.

“You’re all set,” Lardo takes the paper from him. “I’ll email you a copy just in case. Stay safe, boys,” she smiles knowingly at both of them, and Jack chuckles and thanks her as he stands.

“So,” Parse says as they leave the office, shutting the door behind them. “Yours or mine?” he grins cheekily.

Jack laughs—it’s silly, but if Parse means to put him at ease then it’s working. “Yours,” he murmurs, heading toward the staircase on automatic.

Parse surprises him by slipping his hand into Jack’s, twining his fingers together and tugging him quickly up the stairs. Parse has a look of mischief on his face and a twinkle in his eye, and Jack finds himself laughing even though nothing’s funny, it’s just—this is kind of fun. Different than with Bitty, yes, but in a good way.

Jack’s momentarily startled when they head into a different room than he’s used to, but that makes sense—Parse and Bitty would have different rooms, wouldn’t they? His throat seizes at the change, but he looks around as Parse turns the lamps on and the room’s not really that different, just rearranged.

And then Parse is standing right in front of him. He’s not as short as Bitty, so Jack can meet his eyes easier and it almost knocks the breath out of him. “Ground rules?” Parse murmurs, voice rough.

“Just—ask before you do stuff,” Jack says, because that’s what he does when he tries new things with Bitty and it’s seemed to work up until this point.

“’Course,” Parse leans closer, breath hot on Jack’s chin. “Then, can I kiss you?”

Jack doesn’t say ‘ _yes_ ’ as much as it rips its way out of his body in a low keen, and then Parse is crowding him against the wall and pressing his lips to Jack’s. It’s just this edge of sloppy in a way that Jack likes immediately, and Parse is licking his way in like he belongs in Jack’s mouth, pulling him apart with agonizing flicks of his tongue.

Parse pulls away for breath, comes back in and kisses him softer this time, humming into his mouth. “Mmn, okay,” he says, breath heavy. “That okay?”

“Very,” Jack rasps, his voice rough in the way it always gets with Bitty, and wow it’s weird to hear it from his own mouth with someone else in front of him.

“Forgot to ask,” Parse mumbles, pressing his forehead up against Jack’s in a way that sends his cap falling to the floor. He doesn’t seem to care. “You got any questions?”

“Not really,” Jack says without thinking, and then, “Wait. Uh, actually—you know who I am, don’t you?” he changes his mind.

Parse nods. “Yeah, I do. Does that bother you?”

“As long as you don’t get all weird,” Jack shrugs, the discomfort prickling at the edge of his spine. He knows Parse won’t spill; there’s a confidentiality clause built into the paperwork they’d signed. Jack had double-checked.

“What, like,” Parse’s mouth spreads into a grin, “Like saying you’re really hot when you skate? Aces, right? I watched your game against the Falconers last night, you know, and when you checked that D-man into the boards, _oh_ , I almost came in my pants,” he gives an exaggerated moan, and Jack rolls his eyes and snickers and clamps his hand over Parse’s mouth just so he’ll stop.

Parse waggles his eyebrows and bites into the skin of his palm, and Jack jumps, jerking away. “Um,” he says, heartrate ratcheting up.

“Sorry—should’ve asked,” Parse’s brow lowers.

“Nah, it’s—okay,” Jack shrugs, inspecting his palm, where the neat outlines of teeth are already fading. He and Bitty haven’t done biting before, but maybe—maybe he’ll ask to do that next time.

“Anyway, are you—okay with me knowing?” Parse murmurs, more serious this time.

Jack thinks about it, then nods slowly. “Yeah. That’s okay. It’s not like you can un-know it or anything,” he shrugs. Then a thought dawns on him. “Wait—you know hockey pretty well then?” he asks, because Parse had watched the most recent game even though it hadn’t been a big one, and Jack’s never been able to sleep with someone who knows a lot about _hockey_ before.

Parse nods, smiling. “Yeah, played in high school. Center, like you. No biggie,” he shrugs, retreating to sit on the bed and pulling Jack with him.

“Bits figure-skated, but he doesn’t know too much about hockey,” Jack muses, and Parse makes a noise of amusement.

“You call him ‘Bits’. I like that,” he flops back onto the bed, then starts to laugh. “We really should have stayed and talked, you know.”

“Hmm?” Jack blinks. “Why?”

Parse pulls at his arm so Jack’s lying next to him, side-by-side on their backs. “’Cuz now we’re gonna start talking hockey, and I’m not gonna wanna stop to fuck,” he shoots Jack a smirk full of laughter.

Jack stares at him for a long moment. “Who _are_ you?” he asks finally, because who is this guy who knows hockey and is Jack’s type and is easing him into this like it’s nothing?

Snorting, Parse tips his head closer to Jack’s. “Since I know who you are, I guess I’ll tell you. Fair is fair and all,” he half whispers, and that’s not quite what Jack had meant but this might be better. “I’m Kent. Don’t tell anyone I told you that,” he winks conspiratorially.

“Kent,” Jack mouths, and he’s surprised to see Kent’s eyelashes flutter.

“I haven’t been in bed with someone who’s called me that in a very long time,” Kent murmurs, voice carelessly seductive as if he isn’t even aware he’s doing it, and Jack is painfully hard.

“Well, you are now,” Jack points out, and Kent huffs a laugh and kisses his cheek.

“You’re very right, Mr. Zimmermann,” he whispers, and it sends a jolt down Jack’s whole body.

“I haven’t—“ he starts, breathes. “I haven’t even told Bitty that—I don’t know his name either,” he admits.

“Ah, Bitty hates his first name. Says it reminds him of getting bullied as a kid,” Kent shrugs, and Jack feels a little better. “Bet he wouldn’t mind knowing who you are, though, especially if it makes you shudder like that,” Kent adds, reaching a hand over and trailing it down Jack’s chest.

Jack closes his eyes, focusing on keeping his breathing steady. “I should,” he says, chest feeling fluttery. He’s thought about telling Bitty before, but Bitty’s never asked and Jack—

Jack is constantly making sure he’s not getting too close. Because Bitty is not _his_. And Jack has to try very hard to hide that he _wants_ Bitty to be his, because that’s not how this works. The problem is that he very much suspects that his feelings for Bitty are way, way stronger than they should be, and it’s a problem that he struggles with every time he comes here.

“You okay?” Kent asks, winding his fingers through Jack’s. Strangely, it settles him.

“Yeah, I am,” he says, nodding his head and consciously relaxing his muscles. He focuses on the warmth of Kent’s palm, on the soft edges of his fingers.

A smile plays at the edges of Kent’s lips. “ _Jack_ ,” he mumbles, voice husky, and Jack doesn’t have time to stifle the moan that falls from his lips, to stop his hips from snapping upward of their own accord. “Hmm, you do like that, don’t you?” Kent’s smile widens, and he pulls himself up and climbs on top of Jack, straddling him. “This okay?”

And Jack nods wordlessly because his voice is stuck right now, because Kent is sitting right on top of his dick, a solid, heated weight. It’s all he can do to keep from rutting up into him.

Kent leans down, bracing his arms on either side of Jack’s head and kissing him thoroughly, devouring him from the inside out until Jack really is rutting up into Kent’s crotch. “Jack, Jack,” Kent sighs, and it’s stopped being teasing now, as if Kent really does want _him_. It’s making Jack’s head spin, and he has to pull away and breathe because he hasn’t had it this intense in ages.

“So, um,” Kent says, pressing his mouth against Jack’s jaw. “I don’t normally do this unless people ask me, but I get the feeling you’re not gonna ask and I kinda _really_ wanna ride you right now, so do you mind that or?” he asks, words running together.

It only takes the moment that Jack spends imagining Kent on top of him just like this except _naked_ to say—“Y-yes.”

Kent crashes into him, kissing him again and again, and Jack thought it had been intense before but that had been nothing compared to _this_. Jack feels himself being lifted so he sits up, lets Kent take his shirt off, hisses a _yes_ when Kent puts his hand over the button on his pants. Then Kent’s helping him slide them off and somehow Kent’s gotten naked in the process and fuck, he’s even sexier unclothed.

“Parson with the assist,” Kent mumbles into his ear and Jack _laughs_.

“Oh my God,” he says, because he can’t believe this is happening. “Is that you? Parson?” he adds as an afterthought, startling Kent from where he’s sliding off the bed to grab the lube and condoms from the table by the wall.

“Shit, yeah, guess I let that one slip,” Kent laughs, dropping the lube on the nightstand and sprawling out next to Jack in the bed. “Don’t tell.”

“I won’t,” Jack promises, then licks his lips. “Kent Parson, eh?” he murmurs.

A blissful grin curves its way onto Kent’s face. “Yeah. Yeah, I like that,” he says, and Jack grins back.

“Kent Parson,” he says again. “Parse. Parser. Kent. You’ve got a lot of nicknames,” he muses, even as Kent presses kisses down his neck.

“I do,” Kent eyes him for permission before sucking at his nipple, eliciting a shiver from Jack.

“Which—do you like best?” Jack manages to say, and words are difficult because Kent’s kissing down his stomach and heading in a direction that’s making him impossibly harder.

“Whatever you’d like,” Kent grins up at him, opening up one of the condom packets. “Gonna suck you now?” he asks, even as he rolls the condom onto Jack’s cock.

“God, yes,” Jack shivers, and then Kent’s swallowing him down deep, and fuck he’s taking him in all the way, until the head of his cock presses against the back of Kent’s throat and Jack _feels_ the moan wrench itself out of him—“Kent, _Kenny,_ stop stop stop,” he groans brokenly, and Kent pulls away with a slick pop.

“Huh. That one’s new,” Kent muses, crawling up beside him and kissing him. He tastes like latex.

“Sorry,” Jack says, more out of reflex than anything.

“Nah, I liked it,” Kent says, and Jack feels a little stunned because Kent is actually flushing.

“Oh,” Jack says. “I’ll use that, then,” he murmurs, and Kent grins.

“I’d agree to that,” he says before kissing him again, just a soft peck. “Hey, so—I really want you, so do you mind if I open myself up, or?” he asks, and Jack’s heart stutters because fuck, yes, he’d almost forgotten where they were going with this.

“Um—yeah, that’s fine,” he says, voice fuzzy with lust. “But I want to do it next time,” he says.

Kent arches a brow. “Next time? Thought you were Bitty’s boy,” he says, but he doesn’t seem offended as he lays out next to Jack and uncaps the lube, pulling his knees up.

“Oh, right,” Jack mumbles. He’s startled to find that he’s disappointed that he won’t get to do this with Kent again. It’s an odd thought. He hasn’t wanted anyone other than Bitty in months.

And then Kent smirks at him and starts sliding a finger in himself and Jack almost can’t look because _fuck_ Kent looks debauched right now, hair all over the place and lips puffy and chest flushed. For a brief moment Jack closes his eyes and sees Bitty in the same position, and the similarities really are everywhere—fuck. So Jack does have a type.

“I’m so fucking hard,” Kent groans, though he’s moving his fingers lazily—but shit, he’s got three of them in there and Jack doesn’t even know when that happened.

“Me too,” he says, feeling breathless, and then Kent grabs one of the damp towels folded neatly on the bedside table and cleans his hand off.

“I’m ready,” Kent says, climbing back onto the bed with the lube. “You good?”

Jack nods, his eyes half-closed in the bleary intensity of his wanting. “Might not last,” he says, as Kent slicks lube onto Jack’s condom and then rolls one on himself.

“To be honest? Me, neither,” Kent laughs openly, as if he’s sharing a secret, and Jack’s so swept up in it that it’s exhilarating. “Here, can you help position—?” he asks, hitching his leg over so that he’s hovering on top of Jack again, poised in just the way so that when Jack grips the base of his own cock and holds it steady, Kent sinks down and— _fuck fuck ohh_. _Oh_.

For a moment, Jack’s mind is completely blank. Then Kent starts moving and everything feels like it’s crashing over him, slamming into him even though he’s the one inside Kent, and suddenly Jack’s choking out, “Kenny, _Kenny_ ,” and he comes.

He’s half worried that Kent will laugh, but Kent doesn’t, instead riding Jack through it and taking himself in hand with almost a feverish desperation. And then Kent’s head snaps back and he shudders, seating himself as deeply as possible on Jack’s now-softening cock and practically sobbing as he comes.

“Sorry,” Jack apologizes, and he can feel the blush as it stains his cheeks.

“No, no, don’t say sorry,” Kent says, breath hitching as he nearly collapses next to Jack. “That was—fuck, that was really good, don’t worry about going fast— _shit_. Man, I feel like a puddle or something,” he laughs. It slowly puts Jack at ease. He wants to feel Kent again, so he puts an arm into him and presses his face against his shoulder even though he knows they’ll have to get up soon to clean themselves off.

“Do you say that to all your clients?” he asks, wondering belatedly if it’s a rude question, but Kent doesn’t recoil or anything.

“I don’t,” Kent gives him a strange look—not offended, but pensive, contemplative. “I haven’t had sex that intense in a really long time, actually. I—okay, you might laugh at this, but at first I thought it was because I was a little star-struck—but that’s worn off and I’m still feeling, like, dizzy, so,” he grins sheepishly.

“I can’t believe you like hockey,” Jack nuzzles into his neck. Kent’s silent for a moment, prompting Jack to look up at him again. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Nah, just thinking. Hmm, do you usually meet with Bits around this time?”

Jack huffs a laugh, because Kent really is using the nickname. “Yeah, usually, unless we have a game or something. Why?”

“ _Oh_ ,” Kent says, like he’s just put something together.

“What?” Jack asks, starting to feel alarmed.

Kent puts his hand to Jack’s hip, rubbing soothing circles into his skin. “Nothing bad, don’t worry. It’s just—he talks about you. Nothing that would give you away,” he adds quickly, “I mean, he probably shouldn’t do it but everyone kinda does?”

“Oh,” Jack says. “What sorts of things?”

“Not like, specifics or anything,” Kent shrugs. “Just little pieces—I dunno. I think he looks forward to your sessions,” he murmurs, and his voice seems a little off but Jack can’t pinpoint what would make it that way. So he kisses Kent until he’s smiling again, laughing breathily into Jack’s lips, making Jack feel like he’s floating.

“Are you guys friends?” Jack asks eventually.

“Bitty and I? Yeah,” Kent smiles. “He’s funny. Also ruthless as fuck,” he snorts, and Jack laughs along because he knows the sharp spark that sometimes appears in Bitty’s eyes, lighting Jack up like a firework.

“You guys—can talk about me if you want,” he shrugs lamely. “I don’t mind it if it’s you.”

“Huh, okay,” Kent nods, and then he raises his eyebrows suggestively. “Maybe we will.”

Jack laughs, and then the laugh turns into a yawn. He shifts his head so he can look at the clock on the wall—damn, it’s getting late. “It’s my bedtime,” he murmurs, the disappointment a low pulse in his chest that he tries not to let show.

Kent smirks. “Oh my God, Bitty was right.”

“About what?” Jack wrinkles his brow.

“You’re a giant _dweeb_ ,” Kent says, then starts laughing.

“Hey, I just like routines,” Jack mutters. “Besides, no one uses that word anymore.”

“It’s not a bad thing,” Kent reassures him, sitting up. “And _I_ use that word.”

“Bitty told me that no one uses it,” Jack defends and sits up too, maneuvering himself to the edge of the bed.

“He would, wouldn’t he?” Kent smiles fondly, and Jack leans into him, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

Soon, he’ll have to leave. But just for now, he’ll allow himself to drink in Kent’s warmth, to bask in the lingering intensity that still dances over his skin when they touch.

xXx

“Holy hell,” Bitty drawls, accent thick as it always is after he’s orgasmed. He pulls his condom off and flips it into the trashcan, pulling himself up next to Jack and thumping his head warm onto Jack’s chest. “That was—really intense. What all did Parse do to you?” he jokes sleepily.

Jack’s heart speeds up a little bit at the mention of Kent’s name, and he tries to tamp down his guilt because it’s not _cheating_ , obviously. But it still kind of feels like it. “He rode me,” he deadpans, and Bitty shakes with laughter.

“I know. He told me,” Bitty says coyly. “You know, you’ve never been that assertive before. I kinda liked it.” He raises his head up for a moment to smile at Jack, then drops it back down and presses his face into Jack’s chest. “Mmm.”

Jack strokes his hand up and down Bitty’s back—Bitty’s so _small_ , Jack’s hand is huge in comparison, and he loves it, loves grabbing at Bitty’s waist or cupping his hands around Bitty’s ass, loves—well. Bitty. But he can’t think about that right now or he might say it on accident, so he steers his thoughts far, far away.

Bitty yawns, shifting himself over so he’s resting his head on the pillow next to Jack. “We should have a threesome,” he murmurs casually.

Jack stares at him. “What?”

“Only if you wanna,” Bitty interjects quickly, and Jack bites his lip.

“You mean—with Kent?”

“Yeah,” Bitty says, then raises his eyebrows. “He told you his name, hmm?”

“He already knew mine,” Jack flushes. “Recognized me.”

“Ah, I see,” Bitty strains his neck up so he can press a kiss to Jack’s forehead. “I’m a lil’ jealous that he knows who you are,” he smiles ruefully.

“Jack Zimmermann,” Jack says, and Bitty pulls away to look at him.

“You didn’t have to tell me,” Bitty says softly.

Jack shakes his head. “I wanted to,” he explains.

And then Bitty smiles at him brightly, letting his eyes drift closed. “Z. Jack Zimmermann. Now I get it.”

Oh, Jack loves him. He really does. Fuck. “That’s me,” he mumbles, and Bitty kisses him, sending warm butterflies thrumming in his stomach.

“I can still call you Z, if you want,” Bitty murmurs into his lips.

“Call me Jack?” Jack says, and Bitty smiles again, looking almost affectionate.

“Okay, Jack,” Bitty runs the back of his knuckles over Jack’s cheek. “I can tell you my name if you want me to.”

Jack contemplates the idea. “Kent said you don’t like your name?”

Bitty’s lips twist. “Not really.”

“Then it doesn’t matter,” Jack smiles at him. “You’re Bitty to me.” Bitty beams at him, and for a moment they lie still. Jack’s heart seizes with the warmth of it.

“You never answered my question, by the way,” Bitty points out eventually.

“Hmm?” Jack asks, because he’s sort of lost, swimming in Bitty’s eyes.

“About the threesome,” Bitty prompts, and Jack’s heart flips in his chest.

It’s not that he doesn’t _want_ to. It’s just that his feelings for Bitty and his feelings about Kent are both so strong in different ways that he’s afraid that if he’s with them both together, they all might spill right out of his mouth.

“If it’s about money, I can talk to Lardo,” Bitty bites his lip, and Jack shakes his head vehemently.

“No, no, that’s not it—I, um. I play professional hockey, you know, I don’t really worry about that? So, uh, yes,” he says, then realizes Bitty’s staring at him. “What?”

“You play hockey—you’re on the internet. I can _Google_ you now,” Bitty says almost reverently, and Jack nearly chokes on his laughter.

“Yeah—if you wanted, I guess,” he shrugs, chuckling. Computers aren’t really his thing—he’s never quite seen the appeal besides being able to watch neat history videos.

“That means I can look at your ass when I’m off the job,” Bitty grins wickedly at him.

Jack snorts. “Sure,” he says, his mind suddenly aware again of the small points of pain over his thighs and ass—they’d tried the biting thing. Jack had liked it. A lot.

Bitty makes a small noise next to him, and Jack kisses his temple. “Hmm?” he hums questioningly.

“You said yes and I missed it, didn’t I?” Bitty smiles ruefully.

Jack smiles. “Yeah, I did.”

“I thought I was gonna have to convince you more,” Bitty quirks an eyebrow at him.

“I—it sounds like it’d be nice,” Jack says in what’s probably a giant understatement. His heart beats faster just imagining it. “Have you guys—done that before?”

“Had a threesome? No,” Bitty shakes his head. “But um, we’ve messed around? He taught me a couple’a things, actually,” he admits, and then a blur of images flies through Jack’s head, of Bitty and Kent doing the things that Jack’s done with Bitty, and slowly he hardens again. Holy shit.

Bitty flicks his eyes down at Jack’s cock and grins. “Sorry,” Jack flushes.

“No, don’t apologize,” Bitty says, crawling down Jack’s body. “I kinda wanted to suck you off tonight and now I get the chance,” he grins, leaning over to grab a condom from the foot of the bed and rolling it over Jack.

Then he bends down and takes Jack into his mouth, and Jack’s lost count of the number of times they’ve done this but it feels familiar and oh-so-exhilarating all at once. Bitty knows everything that Jack likes, knows to twist his tongue just so around the head of his cock and knows that Jack likes it when Bitty digs his nails into Jack’s hip. He knows to slow when Jack gets close so that Jack can hover over the precipice of bliss just a little longer, threading his fingers gently through Bitty’s hair.

And when he comes, warm and breathtaking, Bitty grins up at him afterwards, wiping the saliva off of his mouth on the back of his arm and crawling back up for a tender kiss.

Jack had never thought that sex would ever be so _easy_. But everything is easy with Bitty, talking and spilling secrets and sometimes even falling asleep on accident—and Jack’s pretty sure that’s love.

There’s a thought prickling at the back of his mind that things had been easier than expected with Kent, too, so easy it was almost natural. Jack will have to mull it over later, when his arms aren’t warm and full of Bitty kissing him.

xXx

Jack is trembling as he walks up the stairs, and for once in his life it’s not from anxiety but from excitement. He heads to the room he and Bitty use, pausing at the door and wondering if he should knock—no, that would probably be silly—he doesn’t usually knock. So he twists the knob and walks in.

Kent and Bitty are both there, sitting up against the pillows and laughing at something. They both turn when Jack walks in but the laughter doesn’t leave their eyes, and Jack knows already that this is going to be good.

He’s already wondering if he could convince them to do it again, and they haven’t even started yet.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Bitty reaches a hand out toward him. “Come on over.”

Jack climbs onto the bed, excitement brimming in his bones. Kent winks at him and says, “Hiya, Jack.”

“What were you guys talking about?” Jack asks, even as Bitty pulls him forward until he’s braced over Bitty’s body.

Bitty starts laughing again. “I Googled you,” he grins embarrassedly. “It was—an experience.”

“An ass-perience,” Kent chuckles.

Bitty gives him a severely unamused look. “You know what—just no, Kent. Never say that word again,” he covers his face, laughing nonetheless, and Kent pretends to look affronted.

“What? I’m funny, just ask Jack,” he appeals, leaning over and putting his chin on Bitty’s shoulder even as Bitty laughs and tries to swat him away.

“No,” Jack deadpans, and even Kent laughs.

Jack watches both of them, laughing together so close he could touch, and he _can_ touch—it’s a heady feeling. They’re better friends than he’d thought they would be. It’s a nice surprise because everything feels so comfortable he’s almost lulled by it—he’d been worried that his expectations for this were too high, but it turns out that this is already somehow better than he’d imagined.

And then Bitty smiles up at him and pulls him in for a soft kiss, and Jack groans into his lips because Kent’s hand is stroking up his thigh, warm even through the fabric of his jeans. “We should get naked,” Kent suggests, and Bitty breaks away from Jack to nod emphatically.

“Yes please,” Bitty says, then he leans in and quickly kisses Jack again. “Missed you this month,” he murmurs, fingers already sliding their way up under Jack’s shirt.

Jack’s heart pounds because Bitty’s never said that he _missed him_ before. “Missed you too,” he says honestly, and then Bitty’s lifting his shirt over his head and then Jack feels warm hands—Kent’s hands—on his back, tracing over newly revealed skin.

“What about me?” Kent asks, pressing his words into the base of Jack’s neck. “Didja miss me?”

“Yes,” Jack says, because he _did_.

Kent laughs from behind him. “You don’t have to lie to make me feel better, you know.”

Jack turns to face him, wrinkling his brow. “I’m not, I—“ he stops, speechless because Kent has somehow managed to slip out of his clothes already, and he’s sitting bare and hard, leaning toward Jack with a smug smile. “I did miss you,” Jack says slowly, letting himself _look_ , letting his eyes trace careful lines over Kent’s torso and hips and thighs.

“Fuck, okay, yeah,” Kent says, leaning into Jack, and now Jack can _touch_ so he does, tracing those same paths with his hands. “Bits, you were right,” Kent shivers into Jack’s touch.

“What about?” Bitty says, and Jack dimly registers that he’s stripping down beside the bed. Jack should get out of his pants too, so he reaches down and fumbles at his own button until Kent takes pity on his shaking fingers and pops it open for him.

“He’s got like, laser focus,” Kent says to Bitty, and Bitty laughs.

“Told ya.”

“Is that—a bad thing?” Jack shifts, letting Kent pull his jeans and boxers down and away into the floor.

“Not at all,” Bitty says, behind him now, sliding his hands down to grip Jack’s ass and making him moan. “It’s sexy.”

“Very,” Kent nods, and then he leans forward and kisses him fiercely, slipping his tongue into Jack’s mouth until Jack can’t even think.

“What do you want, honey?” Bitty’s mouth is at his ear, close and intimate, and Jack’s mind is so fuzzy right now—

“I—I don’t know,” he stammers, gasping in the aftermath of Kent’s kisses. “Can you decide?”

“Why don’t we let Kent pick this time?” Bitty moves to suckle at Jack’s neck, making him squirm.

“Y-yeah, that sounds good.”

Kent grins, soft and gooey in a way that makes Jack want to sigh happily. “Can I fuck you?” Kent asks him, and Jack can feel himself blushing.

“Yes,” he nods quickly.

Behind him, Bitty lets out a quiet whimper and Jack turns to look. Bitty’s eyes are wide and he’s biting his lip—“You two are gonna look so good,” Bitty sighs, and Jack shivers at the thought. Kent’s going to fuck him, to press all the way inside of him until Jack is gasping for it— _fuck_. “You gonna be good for me, Jack?” Bitty murmurs, leaning close and nipping at his ear.

“Ye-es,” Jack says, voice going ragged. He’s so hard. Belatedly, he remembers that this had been part of what he was anxious about in the first place, of having someone else watch him let Bitty take control, but Kent doesn’t seem fazed at all and Jack feels like he’s found his home.

Then Kent opens his mouth and says, “You gonna let Bits open you up for me, baby?” and Jack _groans_ so hard it’s almost a sob.

“Yes, yes,” he’s saying, and Bitty’s hands are sliding to his ass again and oh, this is gonna be so good, fuck.

“Hands and knees, honey,” Bitty says, and Jack obeys, letting himself relax into familiar territory. Except this time Kent is sitting next to them, lounging against the pillows and raising up a casual hand to run his knuckles up and down Jack’s face.

“You look so hot, Zimms,” Kent murmurs, and the compliment sends waves of pleasure rushing over Jack’s body even as he quirks an eyebrow.

“’Zimms’?”

“Trying out nicknames,” the edge of Kent’s mouth tilts upward. “I think I like that one.”

“All right, Kenny,” Jack grins at him, and right now Kent’s looking at him like Jack’s his whole world and—obviously it’s not _true_ , but it’s nice to feel that way, like maybe Jack really is worth it for someone.

Jack hears the _pop_ of a lube cap opening behind him, shivers and leans into Kent’s mouth when Kent sits up and kisses him. Then there are cool fingers trailing up and down behind his balls, and Jack spreads his legs wider, waiting, wanting, and then _finally_ Bitty’s finger slides higher until it’s circling around his entrance and he can’t help but whimper. “God, Bitty,” he moans, and then Kent kisses him harder, all lips and tongue and a little bit of teeth.

“Y’all’re flirting up there without me,” Bitty says in a tone that Jack can only describe as chirping, pushing his finger in in _in_.

“Can’t help it,” Kent pulls away gasping, and Bitty laughs, voice honeyed and sweet.

Jack can’t help but sigh at how much he _loves_ him—

But this time Kent is there. And he notices—Jack’s sure of it. _Fuck_.

“You okay, honey? You’re all tense—I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Bitty stops moving his finger, sounding worried.

Jack feels like he can’t speak, he’s so caught up in the cool, inscrutable gaze Kent is giving him. Fuck, no one was supposed to know how he felt and now everything’s going to go to shit—

But then Kent smiles softly. “It’s okay, Zimms,” he murmurs, and Jack holds onto the words like a lifeline, melts again Kent when Kent kisses him even though he’d felt numb only seconds before.

It’s okay. It’s okay. Kent says it’s okay, so it will be, because Kent’s not going to ruin him.

“Thanks, Kent,” he hears Bitty murmur, and Jack realizes he’s relaxed again when Bitty presses his fingers back in. Jack thinks there are two now, making slick noises as they press in and out, and he loves this, loves having Bitty’s hand in him, loves having however much of Bitty he can get.

“Is he tight, Bits?” Kent asks, voice rough like sandpaper. Jack can almost taste the arousal on his tongue when Kent kisses him.

“Yeah, he is,” Bitty murmurs, twisting his fingers in a way that makes Jack’s back arch. “Wanna help me?”

Kent moans helplessly into Jack’s mouth, pulling back and staring at Jack until Jack nods because yes, _yes_ he wants that. “Shit, yeah,” Kent answers Bitty, leaving Jack with a chaste kiss and crawling over to where Bitty is.

Jack hears the lube cap popping open again and shoves his face into the pillow because he feels like he’s going to scream. Then he feels the sting of having another finger pushed inside of him, but it feels bigger than Bitty’s and fuck, they’re both inside him, fuck, “ _F-fuck_ …” he whimpers, and Bitty rubs a soothing hand over his back.

“This okay, sweetheart?” Bitty asks, and when Jack stammers a _y-yes_ Bitty starts crooking his fingers in and out again, prompting Kent to move with him until they’re both finger-fucking Jack and Jack is sobbing into the pillow.

And then he hears Bitty tell Kent to add another finger and then there are _four_ and he’s so full and oh God, he might come, oh _God_. “I m-might—I c-can’t anymore, _oh God_ ,” he keens, and Bitty pats him on the hip and stops moving.

“It’s all right, honey, you did so good,” Bitty says, his voice caressing Jack’s ears, calming him down little by little. Slowly, the fingers pull out of him until he’s left empty, so empty—

“ _Kenny_ ,” he whines, sitting back on his knees and turning to see Kent staring straight at him, pupils blown out with arousal in what’s probably a reflection of Jack’s own. “Need you,” Jack says, quieter this time.

Kent flashes him a grin. “You can have me,” he murmurs, voice oddly smooth, and beside him Bitty snorts.

“That’s his seductive voice,” Bitty points out to Jack, who has to stifle a chuckle.

“So what if it is? I mean—is it working?” Kent arches a brow at Jack.

“Uh—yeah. It is,” Jack flushes, and Kent looks half smug and half like he really, really wants to get his hands on Jack right now.

“I’m gonna go wash off—got lube all down my arm on accident,” Bitty tips his head toward the adjoining bathroom. “Don’t start without me!”

“We won’t,” Kent promises, picking up a damp towel to clean his own fingers off with and dropping it in the floor when he’s done. “Having fun, Zimms?”

Jack nods. “This is—really, really good,” he says, and the words can’t possibly be enough to describe how good he’s feeling but Kent seems to understand.

Kent crawls onto the bed and slides an arm around Jack’s waist, tilting his forehead against Jack’s until they’re breathing the same air. They aren’t even kissing but it sends emotions stirring in Jack’s chest, and then Kent’s looking at him like he has something to say, and—“You love him, don’t you,” Kent murmurs quietly.

Jack resists the urge to flinch. “I—I can’t,” he shakes his head, trying to pull away and hide, but Kent’s arm stays firm around his body. “I don’t—“ he starts, but then the bathroom door opens and he cuts off.

“We’ll talk later,” Kent says quickly before Bitty can hear it, and then he kisses Jack hard, wrapping himself around Jack, nipping at his lips until Jack feels absolutely dizzy.

“Y’all ready?” Bitty drawls as he climbs onto the bed, accent thick with lust.

Kent pulls back, looking somewhat reluctant. “He’s so fun to kiss, Bits. I’m jealous,” he pouts.

Bitty laughs sharply. “Well, if you wanna kiss him then I won’t say no to fucking him,” he smirks, and Kent leans over and flicks him in the hair.

“No chance,” Kent shakes his head, and then he and Bitty staring at each other and Jack’s heart flips at the expression on their faces, something warm and full of longing.

And then Bitty leans in and kisses Kent, and they fall into each other like they do this all the time—and Bitty had _said_ they’d slept together before, but this, _this_ looks like love. Jack’s caught between the burn of jealousy and the heat of arousal, because this is possibly the hottest thing he’ll ever get to watch in his life but also he wants to be there, kissing them too—and it’s the oddest feeling because he’s not even sure who he’s jealous of.

Kent’s the one who pulls away, leaning over so he can put a hand on Jack’s thigh. “How do you wanna do this?”

“I want—“ Jack bites his lip, eyes flicking to Bitty.

“What do you want, honey?” Bitty asks him, crawling over and pressing a warm kiss to his lips.

“I want to suck you? If that’s okay?” Jack asks, face heating, and a laugh bubbles out of Bitty’s chest.

“Of course it’s okay,” Bitty tells him. “Do you wanna get back on your knees for Kent then?”

Jack shivers. “Yeah,” he sighs, and before the word’s finished leaving his mouth, Kent’s across the room getting condoms.

He tosses two of them over, keeping the last for himself as he crawls back onto the bed. “Need any more prep?” he asks Jack, tearing open the condom wrapper with his teeth and carefully rolling it on.

“No, I’m fine,” Jack says. “Just—want you,” he murmurs, and Kent’s eyes roll back into his head as he slicks himself up with the lube.

“Fuck, yes,” Kent shivers.

Jack makes use of one of the condoms himself because he feels guilty spilling everywhere, and then he pushes up onto his hands and knees again. He looks expectantly at Bitty, who’s sitting in front of him with a soft smile on his face. “Can I?” he asks, eyes lingering over where Bitty’s already slipped his own condom on.

Bitty’s cock twitches. “Yes, please, honey,” he sits up on his knees, and now Jack can reach, can take him into his mouth and suck him down until his nose is pressed into the blond curls at the base of Bitty’s cock. “ _O-oh_ ,” Bitty moans sharply, “So good so good, Jack, you’re so good for me, oh my God.”

Kent chuckles warm behind him. “Ready, Zimms?” he asks, and Jack feels Kent’s hands sliding over his ass, spreading him open.

He can’t really nod with Bitty’s cock heavy in his mouth, but he puts up a thumbs up and immediately feels the slick press of something blunt against his hole. And then the head of Kent’s cock pushes in and he lets out a tortured moan, his hands gripping firmly at Jack’s hips. Jack’s eyes flutter as he whines around Bitty’s cock because God, this is good, so good. Kent starts fucking into him with little thrusts until Jack can barely bob his head anymore because he’s moaning so much. He loves the feeling of being filled so full he can barely think, loves the way Bitty comes apart when he sucks at him, and now he’s getting both at once and fuck, Kent bottoms out inside of him and Jack’s not going to last at all.

He manages to pull his focus together, flicking his tongue around the tip of Bitty’s cock in a way he knows Bitty likes, and then Bitty’s hands are tangling in Jack’s hair and he’s babbling _so good so good_ , cock pulsing hot and thick as Jack works him through his orgasm.

It’s when Bitty pulls away that Kent really starts to fuck him, pounding into him progressively harder until Jack sees stars. Somehow, Bitty gets a hand on Jack’s cock even though Jack’s nearly doubled over, and then _oh, fuck_ —“Bit—Ken— _ohh_!” A garbled mess of syllables falls from his mouth as the strongest orgasm he’s felt in a very long time hits him, crashing over him, darkening his vision and numbing his hearing. He barely registers that Kent’s coming too, but he manages to hold himself up until Kent pulls out.

Collapsing against the bed, he lies there, caught in a web of bliss until he feels someone crawl up beside him.

“You were so good,” Bitty croons, sliding his hand through Jack’s hair, and Jack feels everything in him relax like a weight’s been lifted off his shoulders.

“Thank you,” he sighs, and Bitty kisses his forehead.

“Go get cleaned up and then come back and cuddle with us,” Bitty smiles softly, and Jack nods and manages to heave himself up and off the bed.

When he comes back, Kent’s lying there next to Bitty, an arm thrown around Bitty’s waist. “C’mere, Zimms,” he mumbles, voice muzzy, and so Jack goes.

He lies down next to Bitty, and then Bitty pulls him closer and puts his head on Jack’s shoulder so now Jack can see both of them if he cranes his neck. Kent grins at him. “That was fucking phenomenal.”

“Yeah,” Jack grins back, and Bitty pats his chest and he’s all warm fluttering, lying here with the two people he lo—

Wait. He loves Bitty, he knows that. Even though he’s not supposed to, he does, but Kent—oh God, what? He’d just been thinking about how much he loved _both_ of them—fuck. He loves Kent too. Somehow, even though they barely even know each other, he loves Kent too. Jack’s spent the last month thinking about Kent just as often as he’d thought about Bitty—he should have known it meant something but the implication hadn’t crept up on him until just this moment.

A groan almost escapes his mouth at the stupidity of it all, because this means he’s fucked up again—because he can’t have _either_ of them. Nothing’s changed, except Jack just wants to lie here in their arms forever and he can’t.

“You okay?” Kent asks him, looking solemn, and Jack tries his best to relax the wrinkle in his brow.

“I’m fine,” he murmurs, casting around for something, anything that he can use to change the subject so that they don’t see what he’s thinking. “You two—seemed really familiar with each other,” he notes.

Bitty huffs a laugh into Jack’s chest. “That’s sort of a recent development,” he admits, and Jack feels the familiar bite of jealousy start to gnaw at his chest.

“It’s kind of your fault,” Kent teases, and that gives the jealousy in his chest a pause.

“What? Why?” he asks, confused.

“Well, when Bits brought up the threesome, we started talking about—well, sex. And then that sort of segued into sexting, and then, you know,” Kent shrugs.

“And then he talked me into coming over at like, midnight,” Bitty grumbles, propping his head up so his eyes can meet Jack’s. “I didn’t get any sleep that night. It was awful.”

“And you’ve gotten sleep since then?” Kent smirks, and Bitty swats at him.

“Shush, you,” Bitty murmurs, lying back down on Jack’s shoulder.

Jack’s heart thuds in his chest, because they’re flirting and—and they obviously _like_ each other. And that makes sense. They’re coworkers; Jack’s just a client. He has to try his best to disassociate himself from his jealousy—he’s just had mind-blowingly amazing sex with both of them. He’s not really in a position to ask for more than that. He should be grateful for it.

But then Kent looks at him and Jack remembers—shit. How had he forgotten? Kent knows that Jack feels something for Bitty, had noticed Jack’s face earlier—fuck.

“So, I have something I need to say,” Kent says at the same time as Jack lets out a garbled “Kent—“

They pause, and then Jack sighs and nods for Kent to go first. If he’s going to get outed anyway, he might as well let Kent say it for him, even though the thought makes him want to shake.

“I think you guys should date,” Kent exhales the words on a breath, and Bitty jerks his head up so fast he knocks into Jack’s chin.

“Ouch—sorry, honey. But Kent—“ Bitty says, and there it is, Bitty’s going to protest—“How did you know?”

What?

Of all the things that Jack could have heard from Bitty’s mouth, he never would have expected that to be one of them.

“It’s kinda obvious that you’re crazy about each other,” Kent mumbles, averting his eyes. “Thanks for letting me join for a while,” he adds, and Jack realizes he’s _hurt_.

“Kenny,” he says softly, and both of them look at him. Fuck, he has no idea what he’s going to say here, but Kent’s looking up at him like he’s pretending he cares less than he does, and Jack _knows_ that feeling, has harbored it in his head for months. “You could—stay?” he says simply.

Kent blinks at him. “Uhh. You don’t have to try and make me feel better,” he gives a one-armed shrug.

“Kent?” Bitty says, and his voice is even softer than Jack’s ever heard it.

“Yeah?” Kent asks.

Bitty pushes himself up so he and Kent are face-to-face. “Did you think the last month didn’t mean anything?”

Kent looks shaken. “I don’t know,” he admits. “I—wanted it to, but—I was gonna be fine if you just wanted sex,” he says quietly.

“Kent,” Bitty says, and then he leans in and kisses him so tenderly that Jack can feel the emotion rolling off of them in waves. “I _like_ you,” Bitty pulls away, voice rough. “And you, too,” he looks at Jack, and it’s like Bitty’s hit the bullseye in his heart because elation pours out of Jack like a fountain.

“ _Bitty_ ,” he sighs, and then Bitty kisses _him_ like he’d just kissed Kent, a soft brush of lips and a breathy laugh.

“So I think,” Bitty pulls away slowly, a happy glint in his eyes. “I think we should try this together.”

“I want to, but,” Jack swallows, his fears rising up in the back of his throat so suddenly he’s shaken. “But I’m—and you guys are—“

“Is this like, because of our job?” Kent’s eyebrows knit together.

“No! I mean, yes, but not in a bad way, I mean—“ Jack shakes his head and steadies himself until his words resemble an actual sentence. “Isn’t this unprofessional?”

Bitty laughs, and then he keeps laughing and Kent joins him, looking suddenly at ease.

“What?” Jack asks, almost hurt.

“Oh, sweetie, this happens. You don’t need to worry, it just means you can’t be Kent or I’s client anymore.”

“Oh. That’s fine, then,” Jack says, because that seems a lot easier than it sounded in his head. “And you two—don’t mind if I intrude?”

“You wouldn’t be intruding at all,” Bitty says, just as Kent shakes his head and says, “Of course not, Zimms.”

 _Of course_. Somehow, Jack’s managed to warrant an ‘of course’, and it makes him wonder exactly how much they’d talked about him in the interim between his sessions. Maybe someday he’ll ask, because—“Then I really want to date you guys,” he blurts out, heart racing in his chest.

Bitty beams at him, and Kent’s eyes lit up. Yes. Yes, this is what he wants, oh God.

Kent’s gaze turns contemplative. “Does it bother you, that we’re working here?” he asks Jack, motioning at himself and Bitty.

Jack blinks, because why would it bother him? But then he catches Kent’s meaning and shakes his head. “I came into this knowing what you do for a job, so it’d be my own fault if it bothered me,” he says wryly. “Does—would having too much sex be bad, though?” he wrinkles his brow.

Kent laughs. “Hate to break it to you, but most sex on the job is depressingly mediocre. It actually helps to have good sex regularly, for me at least. Keeps me from hating it,” he explains.

“So I’ve been thinking,” Bitty pipes up. “I might—quit, actually,” he says, surprising them both.

“Oh—really?” Kent asks, looking startled.

“I’ve been thinkin’ on it for a while. I dunno, there’s a bakery hiring close to where I live, and I kinda want to apply for the position. I just—I guess this is a little silly, but I didn’t want to up and leave without saying goodbye to Jack,” he looks up at Jack, eyes honest, and Jack’s heart absolutely brims with happiness.

“You were thinking about me,” he says to Bitty, and Bitty chuckles.

“Yeah. For a while,” Bitty blushes brightly. “Since—well, since we started. I was worried for a long time that it would make you uncomfortable, so I didn’t say anything. But then Kent and I got to talkin’ and I just—decided to go for it, I guess.”

“I—didn’t think it was allowed,” Jack admits. “I was trying not to think about it too much.”

“Well, it’s not _encouraged_ , but I don’t think Lardo will fuss too much,” Bitty reassures him, and Jack’s heart suddenly feels a whole lot lighter.

Kent’s been quiet for a couple of minutes so Jack gives him a questioning look. “Sorry,” Kent murmurs.

“What’s wrong, honey?” Bitty asks him, and then Kent’s whole face goes red.

“You’ve never called me that before,” he whispers.

Bitty laughs openly. “Sweetheart. Baby. What’s wrong?”

Kent has a reluctant smile on his face, his blush still bright as when it had appeared. “I—I’m not good at anything except this. I couldn’t quit,” he mumbles, and Bitty reaches up and combs his fingers through Kent’s hair.

“You don’t have to quit, sweetie,” Bitty tells him.

Jack nods in agreement. “I don’t mind it.”

Kent gives both of them a wistful smile. “Thanks, I guess. But—I do wanna quit someday, though. I dunno,” he shrugs. “Maybe I should’ve kept playing hockey. Bet that would’ve been great,” he grins wryly at Jack.

For a brief moment Jack closes his eyes, and an image flashes through his mind of the two of them facing off on the ice, a heated smirk on Kent’s lips.

“Yeah, I bet it would’ve,” he says softly.

They’re quiet for a moment as Bitty keeps toying with Kent’s cowlick. “I can’t believe this is happening,” Bitty murmurs eventually.

“I know the feeling,” Jack leans over and kisses Bitty’s forehead because he _can_. He feels so full of happiness that he could burst.

“I’m really glad you guys want me,” Kent smiles softly at them.

Bitty frowns at him. “Of course we do, Kent,” he murmurs, sitting up. “Gosh, both of y’all are ridiculous. I want you guys and you guys want me and I’m pretty sure you want each other, so—you’re not allowed to think that you’re not worth it, okay?”

Jack blinks at his sudden outburst, feeling cautiously warm inside. “Okay,” he agrees, then looks at Kent. “Okay?”

“Yeah,” Kent says, and then he leans closer and Jack mirrors him and they’re kissing, softer than they ever have before.

 _I love you_ , Jack wants to say, to both of them. But he knows it’s way too soon, even though he can feel the sureness of it in his bones. He’ll wait for that, wait until maybe one of them is ready to say it back.

Kent slowly pulls away from him, a blissful grin on his face. “So I dunno about you guys, but I’d be into another go,” he quirks an eyebrow.

“Oh?” Bitty grins at him. “Well, then. Why don’t we go on home, and then we can take all the time we want?”

Home. Jack doesn’t know where home is yet, but if home is where Bitty and Kent will be then he’s more than ready to find out.

“Okay,” he agrees, and then he smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> chat w/me on [tumblr](http://omgpbandj.tumblr.com/)!


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